Denied one
by esama
Summary: ABANDONED. For a throne the birth of identical twins could be a dangerous thing, especially when one of them was to inherit the crown. So it was customed to eliminate the younger twin. Alternate Universe.
1. Nameless prince

**Denied One  
I chapter  
Nameless prince  
**

What do you do when you are suddenly given the freshly born son of your ruler, a prince to the throne you have spend your whole life respecting and serving… and are ordered to kill the boy? Sadiki certainly did not know what to do while he stared down to the innocent baby face of the young, nameless prince. On one scale he had the orders of the high priest Akunadin, who had been the one to order the prince's death. And on other he had his loyalty to the throne and to the royal blood, loyalty that had made him one of the high level Medjai and part of the Pharaoh's personal guard.

High priest's orders or not, how could he kill one who was part of the bloodline he had served his whole life, how could he kill one of the royalties of Kemet? How could he kill someone when he had sworn an oath to protect his family? And most of all… how could he kill an innocent baby?

Walking through the halls of the palace with the tiny prince warped up to his cape, the Medjai sighed with a troubled expression on his face. He could understand why the prince was to be killed. Pharaoh's partner had given birth twin boys - and not only had they been twins, but identical ones. That was something no throne could suffer because no matter how the princes would be raised, elder one of them would inherit the throne and other would not. There was a risk of the younger twin feeling jealousy and for an identical twin it would be easy to kill the elder one and just take his place. No throne could go through that and so by custom the younger twin was to be killed at birth.

Disobeying the customs and the high priest would mean death, Sadiki knew as much, but… he and his partner had just while ago had their first child, who right now not much older than the young prince in his arms. He could not help but imagine his own son in the place of the innocent prince. It filled him with great sadness and distraught. Why had gods made things this way, why was it that this little boy was to be killed just because he was born two minutes late? The prince did not deserve his fate.

Hiding the prince's face with the cape, Sadiki stepped into the sunlight from the shadows of the palace and headed down to the city of Alexandria. High priest Akunadin had not specified the time or way he should kill the boy, so he still had time to think at least until sundown. He would take the boy to his partner for now, she could breast feed the prince when he would wake up. Thankfully it was still early in the morning and not so many civilians were outside yet, leaving him to trek the streets alone until he reached his own house.

"Amisi?" the Medjai called after stepping inside and closing the door. "Amisi, are you here my partner?"

"I am here, Sadiki," the voice of his beloved called from the bedroom, to where the warrior walked. His partner was sitting on their joined bed, feeding his first born son, Jono. "You are home early, my partner," the woman smiled to the warrior.

"I am afraid I am here because of serious matter," Sadiki sighed and sat beside the woman, revealing his burden to her. She gasped at the sight of the baby boy sleeping in the folds of Sadiki's cape. "This is the younger one of the royal twins who were born just this night," the warrior said sadly, looking at the child. His partner's eyes widened as she understood the indication even before the man continued. "High priest Akunadin has ordered his death."

"Oh no," Amisi whispered while leaning closer to him to look at the young prince. "Such a beautiful baby boy… and you are ordered to kill him. Gods are cruel this morning."

"I do not know, maybe gods are being merciful," Sadiki said somewhat desperately. "For high priest came to me with this task instead of giving it to the chief of the palace guard."

"What are you saying Sadiki?" Amisi asked with worried look about her face.

"Amisi… I do not think I can kill this child," the warrior smiled sadly. "Not only do I see myself holding Jono when I look upon this child, but he is of the royal bloodline I have sworn to protect. Killing this boy would go against everything I believe in!"

"Partner, how would you save him? If he is identical twin of the crown prince, then just the way he looks could put him in grave danger," Amisi shook her head. "Just his face would be enough to condemn him to death here."

"Yes, here…" Sadiki looked up, getting an idea. "Everywhere in Kemet he is in danger… but Kemet is not the only kingdom in this world. If I take the prince over the border - yes indeed," the warrior smiled, warming p to his idea. "If I take him over the border to Nihon he would be safe. He would be raised as a peasant perhaps, but at least he would have a life."

Amisi frowned worriedly as her partner looked down to the young prince, his eyes now twinkling. "In ten days of time there will be a celebration for crown prince's birth and the celebrations will last for seven days. I can slip away in the celebrations, take the younger prince away and return before the celebrations are over," the man looked up. "Until then you can take care of him and keep him safe here. I will report to the high priest and tell him that the younger prince has been killed."

The woman frowned. "Are you sure of this, Sadiki?" she asked seriously. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"More so than I have ever been."

-

When ten days had passed, the people of Kemet celebrated the birth of the future pharaoh. The entire metropolis was celebrating by singing, dancing, eating and drinking, all gathering around the palace in hopes of seeing a glimpse of the young prince. While the celebrations went on, Sadiki wrapped the younger prince into the cloths of his son Jono, and turned away from the celebrations. Not many paid attention to him as he headed away and those who noticed him rise onto the saddle of his camel to ride away forgot about it soon.

The ride to the eastern country border was rough on the young prince, but he managed very well, crying rarely and sleeping mostly. As they approached the border, Sadiki felt truly saddened by the cruel judgements of the gods. Only two minutes separated the two princes, two minutes separated the future pharaoh and the spare - two minutes separated life and death. Why to give the pharaoh twin sons in the first place if one of them was to be killed? He could not understand the gods anymore, but then again he had never claimed himself to be a man of religion.

The kingdoms of Kemet and Nihon were separated from each other by a wide river known as the River of Day. Fitting name for a river which separated the Land of the Setting Sun and the Land of the Raising Sun. It was also very fitting to say that it separated the kingdoms - because on the eastern side of the river the land looked so very different, like something from another world. There were no golden dunes on other side of that river; instead there were mountains with lush forests in the valleys between them. It was really no wonder people called the spot where Sadiki stood the greats view on godly miracles.

"Oi!" a voice called suddenly, calling for Sadiki's attention. Not at the shore across the river but the river itself he saw a boat of sorts upon the waves with an old man sitting on it. He had strange clothing, even stranger hat and very pale skin, all which indicated that he was from the eastern kingdom. "Beautiful day to day, don't you think?" the old man asked with a smile.

"Very," surprised Sadiki answered, having not expected to see anyone so soon. "Are you an eastern, old man?"

"Indeed, indeed am! Yoshimori is my name and studying is what I do," the old man smiled at him widely, using his lone paddle to direct the strange boat towards Sadiki. "You do not see many westerns around here, though. At the bridge yes, but not here, in the wilderness. May you be lost, traveller?"

"No, I do not believe I am," Sadiki smiled at the old man. "For I am searching for the country border and do believe this is it."

"Indeed it is," the old man answered with a nod. His boat hit the shore, allowing him to step ashore. Even though Sadiki had seen eastern clothing before they still made him mystified. The eastern wore so many layers of clothing and had their clothing strangely separated from each other, different kind of clothing covering their torso and arms while other kind of clothing covered them from waist down. Wearing such clothing in Kemet would have been impossible due to the heat.

"What do you have there, stranger?" the old man asked curiously, peering at Sadiki's burden. "Oh, what a handsome child! Yours, stranger?"

"No," Sadiki said sadly, remembering his task. He looked down to the prince, who was now looking towards the old eastern with curious purple eyes. "To tell you the truth," Sadiki spoke morosely. "I came here in hopes that I could get over the river undetected and leave this child to the eastern land."

Yoshimori's eyebrows rouse at the words. "My gods, why?"

"Because in my land he would be in danger because of how he looks," the warrior answered. "In my country he would be killed because of it. But in yours he would not be in such danger and maybe have the chance to live his life peacefully."

The old eastern frowned and peered at the young prince. "Well, I suppose his eyes and hair are quite peculiar, but nothing bad enough to be killed for…"

"Maybe not, but I do not lie. In my country this boy is in grave danger," Sadiki looked at the old man. "Could you, dear man, take him over the river and perhaps somewhere from where he could be found? I can pay you in western gold if that is needed."

"No, no, no gold needed," the old man said and gently scooped the baby from the warrior's arm. He looked at the boy curiously. "I just might keep the boy myself. I am childless, you see, and I have great deal of knowledge to pass on to the future generations."

Sadiki smiled, honestly relieved. "You have my gratitude, Master Yoshimori."

The old eastern smiled. "It is not a bother really; this deed might be the very best thing that has ever happened to me. Now, I believe we must part. The Samurai patrol the river often, and seeing eastern and western together like this mist arise some suspicion."

"You speak words of wisdom and so we shall part. May gods bless you thousand times for your kindness, master Yoshimori," Sadiki bowed at the old man who bowed back. Then the western again took seat on his camel's saddle and turned to ride away. The eastern man looked after him for a moment before turning back to his boat and starting to make his way across the river.

"Well, was that not a peculiar encounter?" the old man wondered to himself while peddling towards the eastern shore. He looked at the little child now carefully on top of his bag. "But as peculiar as it may have been, not as much as you are. I have a feeling that you have a great importance, little one. So great in fact that I am not even going to name you yet. No, we will travel a bit, maybe head towers the Capital… then we shall see what the gods wants of us."

-

After leaving his boat behind, Yoshimori and the nameless baby now sleeping against his chest in make shift sling headed towards east and the capital. As a wandering scholar, Yoshimori was used to wandering so trekking along the untouched mountain sides was no trouble for him. He worried about feeding the baby at first, but it seemed that the gods liked the child, for white foxes of Inari showed up to feed the boy whenever he was hungry. The child, despite being western, did not seem at all bothered being fed by the foxes. Strangely enough, he seemed to understand

So, the journey was calm and pleasant until Yoshimori came to the gates of the great city of Edo, capital of Nihon. The samurai guarding the great gates let him enter the city easily after he showed them the crest the emperor himself had given him long ago, and soon he was walking down the long streets of the great city, wondering what to do next. His intuition had led him here with the boy, but he was not sure of the next step.

"What do you do when you are no sure of god's will?" Yoshimori asked from the little purple eyed baby. "You take a break and enjoy the free time." The baby giggled in answer. Smiling the old man looked for nearest tea house, finding one quite near by. Ordering himself tea, some milk to the child and few snacks, Yoshimori lad the boy down to his lap and enjoyed the moment of peace.

"Oh, what a beautiful child," the young woman in blue kimono who served him his order said, noticing the child. "Your grandchild maybe?"

"Just a stray I picked along the way," Yoshimori smiled while the woman served him the tea. "Thank you, dear lady."

"A stray you say? Orphan perhaps?" the woman asked kindly, smiling at the way the nameless child giggled in the old man's lap.

"I am not entirely sure, but right now I am all he has. I believe that the gods may have great plans for this child, for while we were travelling he was fed by the white foxes of Inari," Yoshimori nodded solemnly at the shocked look on the young woman's face. "A rare occurrence indeed."

"Perhaps you should then try and find your way in the Great Shrine," the woman suggested.

"Hm… I do believe that would be wise. I thank you for our advice," Yoshimori smiled to the woman, bowing his head in thanks.

"You are most welcome," the woman smiled. "Now you must excuse me, I must return to my work."

"By all means."

After finishing his tea and snacks and feeding the milk to the nameless child, Yoshimori picked up his things once more and headed to the street. The Great Shrine was easy to find even though the city was great - after all it rouse over the other buildings, almost as high as the great royal palace. Yoshimori, even though devoted follower of the gods, rarely visited the shrines so it felt slightly strange to enter the Great Shrine. However the sensation of calm and peace that came over him was welcome as he searched for a peaceful spot to contemplate and maybe even meditate should the nameless child stay calm enough.

He was interrupted, but not by the child. "My word, is that you, Yoshimori? What on earth are you doing in a _shrine_ of all places?" surprised voice asked, forcing the scholar to open his eyes. Yoshimori nearly jumped back at the sight of the Emperor, who was dressed into expensive looking sky haori and hakama with white silk kimono underneath. The Emperor laughed jollily at his expression. "I take you didn't expect to see me here, hm?"

"Emperor Sugoroku!" Yoshimori quickly stood up and bowed to the old ruler. Even though he and the ruler had been friends since they had been nothing but mischievous boys, he never failed to show his respect.

"Do stop that," the emperor made a dismissing motion. "When did you come back to Edo anyway, Yoshimori? And where did you get that little fellow from?"

"I returned just hour or so ago," Yoshimori smiled and then looked down to the nameless baby. "And this child here is a stray I picked up along the way."

"A stray you say?" Sugoroku bend his body to take a closer look at the baby. "Is it just me or does he have quite dark complexion?" the emperor raised his eyebrow suggestively.

The scholar bit his lip, looking around in the shrine. "Perhaps this is not the best place to discuss this?" he suggested carefully.

"I see. Well then, come along. Well head to the palace, and tall there."

They headed out of the Shrine, closely followed by the emperor's two Samurai bodyguards who never left his side. Unlike the many emperors before the current one, Sugoroku did not use carriers to get around in the capital. He had always enjoyed walking amongst the citizens, and was mostly because of it one of the most loved emperors in the history. The women and men of Edo greeted their ruler with bows and greetings perhaps a bit too casual considering that Sugoroku was one of the most powerful men on earth, but the cheerful ruler had never minded, in fact he encouraged it.

Thanks to the fact that the palace was quite close to the Great Shrine, they were there in no time at all, soon seated comfortably in one of the many tea rooms while the servants made them tea.

"Well then, I do believe you have a story to tell me," the emperor raised his eyebrows.

"I suppose so, old friend," Yoshimori smiled and told what had happened at the country border. "I had a feeling that capital was a good place to be after wards, so I headed home," he continued his tale. "On the way I was often visited by white foxes of Inari, who would feed the baby when ever he seemed hungry."

"Inari's foxes took care of the boy? That doesn't happen often," the emperor looked just as surprised as the woman in the tea house had. "Well then, this child you picked up may be quite close to the hearts of the gods. Let me see the little fellow, would you?"

The nameless child changed holders and something amazing happened. As soon as Sugoroku's hands touched the baby, paleness spreaded over the baby's tanned skin, leaving it in same shade as Sugoroku's instead of the western tan. Amazed, the emperor examined the baby's innocent face while Yoshimori recited a quick prayer to the gods.

"Well, I think we can take this as a sign," Sugoroku murmured while the baby boy happily tugged at his beads. "Maybe the gods have finally decided to do something about my childless state."

Yoshimori frowned slightly. It had been the cause of great worry in the Land of Raising Sun - the fact that their loved emperor was without heir. Many people prayed probably daily for the emperor to select a successor of sorts, but the emperor had not, always saying that he would select a successor when the gods themselves would show the one to him. And now they apparently had.

"Do you mean to say, Sugoroku, that you would adopt this boy child yourself?" Yoshimori asked slowly, just to be sure.

"If what just happened was not demonstration of the will of the gods then I do not know what is," The old emperor said sternly. He raised the giggling child high into the air and smiled at him widely. "This boy's name shall be Yugi and he shall inherit the throne of Nihon one day."

---

All my other stories are still unfinished yet I'm starting another one. Oh well. If it didn't become clear already, this is Yugioh, ancient Egypt and feudal Japan based Alternate Universe story. Some of the customs, gods and myths and such in this story may go wide of the mark, but I usually try to base everything on real things. Word of caution, this will be slash, but it won't be between the seperated princes.


	2. Troubles in west and east

**II chapter  
Troubles in west and east **

A group of people walked on the shore of the River of Dawn, some of them looking at the water, others glancing over the river to the Land of Setting Sun. "So, what are we doing here again?" the one of the two samurai of the group almost whiny voice. "I know why we're _here_, but why are _we_ here? Shouldn't these patrol things handled by the border guards and stuff?"

"What is wrong, mutt, scared?" the group's archer asked with slightest sneer while glancing over the waves.

"In your dreams! And you know what I mean. We're the _prince__'s_ personal guard, not just some everyday soldiers," the blond haired samurai sighed while folding his arms, hiding his hands in the sleeves of his dark blue haori. "This sort of thing just wasn't in the job description, you know."

"We are here because we were ordered to be here," the lone female, the group's priestess, subtly placed himself between the archer and the samurai before the two of them could start fighting again. "Prince's guard or not, even we have to follow imperial orders."

"Yeah, well the orders weren't exactly imperial were they? They came from that bastard, Pegasus or whatever his name is," the samurai murmured annoyed. "I really want to know how a _foreigner_ like him can have so much power in the imperial court. Only the prince and the emperor should have enough power to order us around, but noo…"

"Pegasus worries me too," the second and only other samurai of the group murmured worriedly. "He is using the emperor's old age and sickness to his advantage, anyone can see that but he already has so much power…"

"When the emperor Sugoroku finally dies and Prince Yugi will become the emperor, that Pegasus guy is so going to go," the blonde samurai murmured and smirked.

The archer chuckled. "That is true. The prince cannot do anything right now because somehow Pegasus has most of the nobles by his side, but once he is the emperor… and with prince going around like he is now, pretending to be an idiot, Pegasus does not even consider him a threat. Probably believes that he can control prince Yugi once the prince takes the throne."

"Like _anyone_ could control the prince," the fifth and final member said, with a slightest smile on his pale lips. "You do not just control the strongest sorcerer of Nihon."

"And strongest swordsman," the two samurai spoke in unison, and everyone in the group smirked. The petite prince could have almost everyone fooled, but not them. The five of them had grown up with the prince, they knew exactly what he could and could not do - and the prince certainly did not carry the Sword of Revealing Light just for show no matter what anyone said.

"Why do you suppose Pegasus sent us here anyway?" the darker haired samurai asked from the archer, who was the leader of their group when ever the prince wasn't present.

"It is rather obvious really. The orders said that we needed to inspect the river for the supposed demon activity that the boarder guards have reported," the archer shrugged. "I suppose Pegasus believes that there is some truth behind them and hopes that we will get ourselves killed fighting these demons. He does after all have this delusional believe that we have some control over the prince. Sees us a threat I suppose."

"There aren't any demons here, right?" the blonde samurai asked.

"There might be. Things have been going strangely in the Land of Setting Sun ever since the former pharaoh died and prince Atemu took the throne," the archer frowned. "Very dark rumours have been coming from our neighbouring land, and as you must know well enough, the sorcerers and priests of Kemet can control demons. If there really is some kind of power struggle going on in Kemet, it would not be any wonder if it reached our border as well."

"You do not think that Kemet will try to go to war against Nihon, do you?" the white haired sorcerer of the group asked. "Lands or Raising Sun and Setting Sun have been friends for centuries if not eons! And the royal houses of pharaohs and emperors have been friends longer than that. Why would pharaoh Atemu seek to fight us?"

"I am not entirely sure if it is pharaoh Atemu's fault at all, Ryô," the archer said with slightest smile as if to sooth the other's worry. "What I know of Atemu says that he is a very wise young man - maybe not as much as our own prince, but certainly not a fool. How ever there have been whispers about power struggle inside the royal house of pharaohs in Kemet."

"That… high priest?" lone female asked. "Aku-something his name was."

"Akunadin. He is the brother of the former pharaoh - uncle to pharaoh Atemu," the archer nodded. "I do not know much of him nor do I know about his motives, but he seems slightly disapproving of pharaoh Atemu."

"Bad eggs all around, huh," the blond samurai asked. "By the way, Seto, how is it that you know all this stuff? You're always better informed than the rest of us."

"Because I sit in the council of nobles and in most of the audiences in which the prince attends," the archer shrugged. "So I _am_ better informed than you, mutt."

"Listen here you bastard --"

"Okay, calm down the two of you," the female of the group said, pushing the two warriors away from each other before they could start fighting. "We do not need any troubles right now."

"Right," the blond samurai murmured and looked away from the archer. "Sorry. I'm just not comfortable being this far from the prince. And prince being without proper protection."

"The prince is still in the royal palace, I am sure he is fine," the white haired sorcerer tried to soothe the blond.

"Yeah and the royal palace is filled with twisted politicians, all with fingers itching towards daggers," the blond murmured but quieted down. There was brief silence before he noticed something at the shore. "Hey… what's that?"

The others of the group turned to look at where he was motioning, noticing the shape that lay on the shore. Recognising the human shape, they rushed forward. The ever suspicious archer quickly took his bow from his back and placed one carefully carved arrow onto the tense string, while the samurai kneeled to turn the human form around to see their face and the sorcerer and the priestess got their healing spells and prayers ready.

"It's a western!" the blonde samurai said, surprised. The unconscious man had the western dark skin, against which his light platinum blond hair contrasted. He was dressed into sandy brown cloaks of the western commoners, but the markings underneath his eyes told differently.

"It is a priest," Seto murmured shock.

"Priest?" the sorcerer asked while the priestess kneeled down to check the western's pulse.

"The markings underneath his eyes are ones certain western priests use," the archer answered.

"He is alright," the priestess said. "Just unconscious and probably very tired." Looking towards the shore she frowned. "Do you think he swam over the River of Dawn?"

"I do not know. The Watcher of the River should not let things like that happen," Seto frowned and looked around, his eyes widening slightly as he saw another form - now, two other. "There is two more over there," he nodded towards the two forms, making the darker haired samurai immediately stand and go inspect the state of the two others. The blond samurai easily picked up the platinum blond western and carried him over the two others while the priestess and the sorcerer rushed over as well.

"They are all just tired," The sorcerer finally said when the three westerns were examined. While Seto frowned at the westerns darkly, sure that he knew at least two of them, the others of the group gazed over the river. "I think they did swim over," the sorcerer said with awe. "They must have really been desperate, though how do you think they made it pass the Watcher?"

"By some form of magic, maybe?" the priestess asked. "They say that western priests have powers unlike us priests of east. That while we are healers, they are destroyers and magicians."

"Quiet," Seto interrupted their musing and his own, deciding that his questions would be answered later. "That does not matter right now. Honda, you look around, see if there is more of the, around. Jonouchi, you make a camp," he looked around and motioned by the near by forest. "There. Make sure that the fire cannot be seen from afar." The two samurai nodded and headed to different directions, knowing better than to argue with the archer when he had that tone of voice.

"Ryô, you can levitate the three of them, right?" the archer turned to the sorcerer who nodded as well, immediately beginning the hand motions of the levitation spell. Next the archer turned to the priestess. "Anzu, can you do anything to these westerns?"

"Well, like said there is nothing actually wrong with them, they have just exhausted themselves," the priestess stood up. "However I can go and look for some herbs, maybe I can make a potion which will help the regain their energy."

"Good," Seto nodded. While the priestess clad in white kimono and red haori headed to search for the said herbs, the sorcerer beside the archer reached his hands out to the westerns. By making a wavy motion with his wrists, the sorcerer raised all three of them up from the ground and softly to hover in air. Once again Seto was amazed by the feat of power Ryô could manage. Not many could levitate three people like that, but then again Ryô was one of the strongest sorcerers of the Land of Raising Sun - second only prince Yugi himself.

In the forest the blond haired samurai had already managed to make a fire and hide it by piling a wall of stones around it. Jonouchi had even cleared most of the stones from the ground and was now unrolling their bedrolls for the westerns.

"We might as well make some food for ourselves," Seto murmured while Ryô laid the westerns down to the bedrolls. The sorcerer, who was usually the group's cook, nodded before starting to prepare the food. Not soon after Anzu returned with handful of herbs, immediately starting to work on her potion.

"Why do you think these people were in such need to cross the boarder?" the sorcerer asked while pouring some water from his flask into the kettle.

Seto eyed one of the dark skinned westerns while sitting down to the ground in cross-legged position. "I have some idea yes, but I would rather hear it from these three than speculate on my own," he murmured, frowning slightly at the commoner's robes all three of their… guests were wearing.

"I think you know who these people are, Seto," Anzu noted while crushing the herbs in small porcelain bowl

The archer grimaced, taking his eyes away from the strangers "Again, I have some idea but cannot be absolutely certain. It will have to wait until they have awakened."

"Keep your secrets then." Jonouchi huffed, he too sitting down with his hand casually resting on the handle of his black katana. He or the others did not seem overly worried though. It was no wonder really, when Seto did not bother to worry there was usually nothing to worry about.

"Maybe the rumours about troubles in west are true, maybe they tried to run away?" Honda asked while he walked towards them from the shore side. "And I could not find any more of them near by."

"Probably," Seto murmured, eying one of the westerns. There really had to be troubles in west for that man to appear in eastern shore of River of Dawn, that was certain. "Let us not make any assumptions for now," he said and ended the conversation before it would really begin. Only the sound of Anzu's working, the cackle of the fire and bubbling coming from the kettle could be heard for some while.

The westerns started to stir few moments after Anzu had fed them the potion. First one of them to stir was a scarred man with white hair somewhat similar to Ryô's. Well, he did not actually stir. He sat up like hit by bolt of lightning, and looked around somewhat wildly before stopping to stare at the eastern with suspicious look about his eyes.

"Good timing," Ryô smiled at the scarred man. "I just finished making the food."

"Where am I, who are you people?" the scarred man asked, narrowing his eyes before looking down to the two other westerns, who were also stirring.

"You are near the eastern shore of River of Dawn," Seto answered with slightest frown of his own. "And I would have your name first." While the others of the prince's personal guard looked at him with surprised expressions, Seto just stared at the white haired man. He needed to know it the man was who he thought it was.

"We made it to the eastern shore?" the western asked with surprise. At Seto's nod he was quiet for a moment before throwing his head aside and smirking somewhat arrogantly. "It's Bakura. My name."

"Bakura?" Jonouchi and Honda both asked with surprise while Seto narrowed his eyes further. "Bakura as in the _thief king_ Bakura?"

"One and only," the scarred man grinned. "I guess my reputation reaches even the eastern lands, hah!"

In a flash his neck was between the blades of two different katanas as Honda and Jonouchi acted accordingly. While the thief king froze, Seto raised his hand to the two samurai. "Not yet, you two," he said, making them look at him incredulously. "I want to know why he is here first."

"Seto, this man is one of the greatest criminals of the known world!" Jonouchi frowned.

"Even so. Stand down," the archer said with bit steel in his voice, making the two samurai grudgingly pull their weapons away.

"Thank you," someone said to Seto, but it was not the thief king whose life he had just saved. It was one of the other Westerns - the man whose presence was the reason why Seto had stopped the samurai in the first place. The young man was dressed into commoner's robes just like the thief and the priest, but Seto had seen too many pictures drawn in papyrus and heard too many tales to not have suspicions about the man's identity. The hair, the eyes… they were unmistakeable.

"Are you who I think you are?" the archer asked with frown, making the other guards look at him with surprise.

"If you think what I think you do, then yes. I am Atemu." The western sat up with a slightest grimace as if not noticing the shocked silence that followed his words. "We made it to the eastern shore?" he asked, looking around with relief in his face.

"Wait, wait, wait…." Jonouchi raised his eyes. "Atemu as in the _pharaoh_ Atemu?" he looked back and forth between Seto and the westerns. "And in the company of the _thief king_ of all people?"

"Mutt, be quiet," Seto glared at the noisy samurai, who opened his mouth to say yet something else, but stopped as Honda nudged his side, silencing him.

The tanned man with strangest hair smiled amusedly, his crimson eyes twinkling slightly. "I guess we have the five of you to thank for our rescue?" the pharaoh asked while the priest at his side was waking.

"Not really. We just found you at the shore," Seto motioned towards the river. "You were out cold but not necessarily in the need of being rescued."

"All the same, I thank you," the pharaoh nodded before raising his eyebrow at Jonouchi's and Honda's drawn swords. The two samurai blushed slightly before sheathing their weapons.

"Did we make it?" the third western asked while rubbing his strange lavender eyes.

"We made it, Marik," the pharaoh answered with a smile and helped the priest to sit up while the thief king shifted into cross legged position on the bedroll. The pharaoh looked at the easterns. "I suppose you want an explanation for our presence here, then?" they all nodded, but the Pharaoh was interrupted before he could say anything.

"He," the thief king motioned at Atemu with slight glee, "was just overthrown. By his uncle no less."

"Yes, thank you Bakura for being so subtle," the pharaoh frowned before shaking his head and looking at the eastern again. "He is right, though. I was overthrown and forced to escape --"

"And only managed to do so alive thanks to my help," the white haired thief interrupted again.

"Would you shut up, tomb robber?" the platinum haired priest snapped.

"No way in hell, grave keeper," the thief sneered.

Ignoring the two westerns, Seto looked at the pharaoh. "So, the rumours of trouble brewing in the west were truthful. How long as it been going on?"

"Ever since my father died Akunadin has been working against me from the shadows," the young pharaoh shrugged, looking slightly sad. "Using money, politics, magic… anything and everything to gain enough power over me. Then he somehow got the control of my armies as well. Like Bakura said, I could just barely escape alive, though I have many people to thank for that. Many risked their lives to help me escape Alexandria."

"And then you came here," Seto said slowly. "Why?"

"It seemed like the only possible option. Akunadin's hand cannot reach this far… and as far as I know, the royal houses of Kemet and Nihon still have some friendship between them," the pharaoh hesitated slightly. "I guess I came to ask for help."

"Hmm…" Seto frowned slightly, looking at the other guards who looked just as worried as he. With the Emperor being too sick to know his own name and Pegasus controlling most of the council of nobles… Well there was still Yugi, yes, but Yugi was too busy in Edo, trying to maintain some of the imperial control while trying to keep the nobles loyal to him still in his side.

"I take it from your expressions that there are troubles here in the east as well?" the pharaoh questioned carefully.

"Some, yes," Seto grimaced. "The knowledge has been withheld from the main population, but the Emperor is sick. He has been so over six months now. Not only that but there is some slight… politic troubles in the capital as well."

"Educated way to say that some crook is trying to take over," Jonouchi added, making Seto glare at him.

"It is only matter of time before the emperor dies, at which time prince Yugi will become the emperor in his stead, but…" Seto grimaced. "Right now things are a bit unstable."

"I see," the pharaoh murmured quietly. Even the thief king looked morose at the news.

Sighing Seto turned to Ryô. "Can you contact the prince securely?" he asked, making the westerns look at him with surprise. "Tell him what is going on here?"

The sorcerer frowned slightly. "I could but at this distance there is no way it would be secure - any sorcerer skilled enough could be able to pick it up…" he narrowed his brown eyes. "Unless… I can get some help."

"Help?" Anzu asked with curious look while the sorcerer stood up.

"We are at River of Dawn," Ryô shrugged motioning at the river. "If I can get the Watcher to help me, then yes, I can contact the prince securely."

"And can you get the Watcher to help you?" Seto asked seriously, ignoring the looks the westerns were giving them.

"Only one way to find out, is there?" Ryô smiled slightly before heading towards the river. Seto, Anzu, Jonouchi and Honda all stayed at the camp while the sorcerer left, knowing that there was nothing they could do to help and that they would be nothing but a distraction if hey would be present. Something like discussing with gods was beyond them - not even Anzu who was a priestess could talk to such powerful entity as the Watcher.

"Is he really going to try and talk to one of the river gods?" the priest, Marik, asked in horror. "He can do that?"

"Ryô does not look like it, but he is incredibly powerful sorcerer. He is one of the few people in our country who can talk to the gods," Seto smiled slightly. "Actually I think there is only one other aside from he who can do it."

"And the other is…?" Bakura raised his eyebrows in question

"Prince Yugi of course," Seto shrugged.

Ryô was gone for half an hour. Anzu looked after the food while he was gone, but even though t was ready they waited for the sorcerer before taking any, knowing that Ryô would need the food when he would return. And they were right, when the sorcerer did return he looked like he had just stayed up in three nights a row.

Falling to sit on the ground, the sorcerer pushed his bangs from his face. "The prince orders us to return to the capital immediately, and bring the foreigners with us," he said. He hesitated for a moment before sighing and adding: "Emperor Sugoroku has fallen into coma."

---

Hehehe... hoo boy. Looks like this is gonna become a complicated story... maybe I should change the category to action and adventure...

Sorry about possible grammar errors and such and thank you for reviews.


	3. Eastern lands

**III chapter**  
** Eastern lands **

Atemu sighed while looking up. He had never been in the eastern lands before, and they were so… foreign. Instead of sun-scorched dunes the Land of Raising Sun was full of green mountains filled with plant life. Not even at the time of the Great Rains had the pharaoh seen so much green and here it was everywhere you looked - even up where the branches of the trees reached towards the sky like web-like green ceiling. And water, it seemed to be everywhere. Dribbling down leaves and tree trunks, flowing in complicated patterns among the roots… even air itself felt wet on his skin that missed the warmth of the desert.

It was so different; it made him feel like he was even further from his land than he actually was. Trying to comfort himself Atemu thought back to all things he had held dear in his home. The warmth of the sun on his skin, the feel of the sand underneath his bare feet, how cool it would get in the nights and how he would sneak into his bedroom balcony late at night to watch Ra's counterpart Yah as he shone in the starry night sky… but it made him think of how Seth would see him from the lower balconies and tell him to go to sleep.

Seth… Pain twisted in the young Pharaoh's heart and he closed his eyes. His brave cousin, prime amongst all the high priests, and beyond doubt one of the greatest magicians of Kemet. Seth had sacrificed himself to help Atemu escape, and the pharaoh did not know id his cousin was alive or not.

Lowering his face and opening his eyes, Atemu saw their guides, these somewhat mysterious eastern warriors. Two with swords, one with bow, young woman and white haired young man who could talk to the river gods. They looked so strangely comfortable in this lively green place, walking amongst the plants as if they had done so all their lives - and maybe they had. To them this green was not a miracle or another world like it was to Atemu, to them it was something they probably saw every day.

Pulling his dune-brown cloaks closer to himself to ward him against the cool air of the forest, Atemu followed them, wondering what it would have been like to grow up in place like this instead of how he had grown up. He could not really imagine it, he could hardly imagine being in the forest now.

"How long will it take to walk to this capital of yours?" Bakura asked from behind Atemu.

"It depends," the archer who seemed to be the leader of the group answered. "If the gods of the forests are on our side we may make it within few days, if they are not it will take weeks."

"And how do your gods affect the duration of our journey?" Atemu asked, honestly curious. All he knew about the eastern gods were that the gods of the River of Dawn like the Watcher were eastern gods and that Amaterasu was eastern version of Ra with the exception that Amaterasu was female.

"Hmm… if the gods of the forest wish to stall our crossing, the forest will take us astray, change its paths and routs to confuse us," the white haired magician - Ryô - answered with a slight smile. "And maybe the spirits of the forest will play tricks on us to make our journey more difficult."

"That will not happen, right?" Marik asked carefully.

"No," the magician shook his head. "I do not think that neither the forest or the gods wish to stall us - it is quite the opposite actually. The kodama are with us, it is always good sign."

"Kodama?"

"Tree spirits."

"I guess you do not have that many maps of this place?" Bakura asked with half amused, half annoyed voice, glancing behind himself to see brown haired samurai glaring at him.

"One can make a map of the mountains but never of the forest or of the rivers, they change too much," the group's leader, Seto, said while easily jumping over high root. Atemu marvelled the feat of nimbleness and agility - it was really amazing how these people made walking, running and jumping seem so _effortless_. It made him wonder if these people could really walk on leaves like some of the stories in west said.

There was a short silence before Marik broke it. "This prince of yours… what is he like? You all seem to hold him in high regard."

"Prince Yugi? Of course we hold him in high regard, he saved each and every one of us personally," one of the samurai, Jonouchi, said. He motioned to the front were the archer was leading the way. "Seto has known him the longest… since you were six years old, right?"

The archer nodded briskly. "Yes, I was among the first to see him after the Emperor brought him out of his isolation."

"Isolation?" Atemu asked curiously.

"Yes. The prince lived the first six years of his life inside the royal palace and only the emperor and the prince's tutors and teachers ever saw him," the lone woman of the group, Anzu, told. "They say that the emperor was afraid that the prince would be assassinated so he was kept hidden until he could protect himself to certain extend."

"Assassinated? And who can protect themselves at age of six?" Bakura asked in disbelief.

"Our prince could," the brown haired samurai who was walking behind everyone else said, and the steel in his tone was clearly directed at Bakura.

"The prince's life was threatened because he is not originally of the royal family - he is adopted son of the Emperor, not full blooded heir," Anzu explained. "It is silly, but some of the most old-fashioned people of our country considered him a threat to the royal bloodline."

"Not silly, it is down right idiotic," Seto murmured angrily. "Even when the emperor adopted the prince he was unable to have any children. When the emperor dies so does the old royal bloodline and there is nothing anyone could do about that - certainly not by killing the heir of the throne!"

"In any case, the prince was and still is occasionally targeted by assassins," the woman continued. "That is why he was taught many forms of self defence early on - magical forms among physical ones. It is mostly due the intense training at so early age that makes him the greatest sorcerer and warrior of our country."

"That tells us what he can do, not what he is like," Atemu said with slight amusement.

"Yes, I am sorry. Seto, you have known our prince the longest, maybe you should speak?" the woman asked from the archer. "How did you and the prince meet anyway? You were there when he met us, but we do not know how he met you." She looked curious too.

Seto glanced them and shrugged his shoulders. "I first met prince Yugi when we were both six years old, it happened in the gardens between the Great Shrine and the royal palace," the archer spoke. "I did not know he was the prince at first, though. No one had seen the prince before that day, so there was no way of knowing. I think I thought that he was student at the Great Shrine who was being punished." The stoic archer smiled slightly at that.

"Punished?" Atemu asked with confusion.

"Ah, yes, of course you would not know," the archer shook his head. "For as long as I have known the prince, he has had the upper half of his face covered in black cloth. When I first saw it I thought that he was blindfolded or something of the sort."

"Blindfold? Why?"

"No one really knows and no one asks. It is just the way things are," Ryô said.

"In any case, because of his clothing and the blindfold I thought that he was some student at the shrine who was being punished for something," Seto continued. "So, being the cocky little brat I was back then, I went to talk to him, asked him what 'crime' he had committed. I do not remember much of our first conversation - it was years ago after all - but I remember how he just smiled in answer."

"In the following week I saw him few more times in the garden, and I still did not know exactly who he was. I had wild theories about earth bound spirit, gods and such when it came to him, he just seemed… otherworldly," the archer chuckled. "It was really quite shock when one time when my father came looking for me and noticed the prince. I have never seen my father bow that deep and that moment I knew who my playmate was."

"It was nearly the end of our friendship. I was the son of Lord Kaiba and therefore one of the higher lever nobles, but still… Yugi is a prince, how do you befriend with a prince?" Seto shook his head and easily ducked a low branch. "Yugi would not have any of it, of course. Being the headstrong person he can be he came to drag me out of the dojo and house at some times just to play with him until I realised that he was not going to end our friendship just because he was the heir of the throne."

"Later when my father died and mother married the most unpleasant man on earth, prince Yugi was always there for me and my brother Mokuba. He convinced the emperor to allow us to live in the palace when our step father…" the archer grimaced and shook his head. "Thanks to Yugi I am head of the palace guard and Mokuba is the top student of Master Yoshimori. I have much to be grateful but little ways of showing it, so I am loyal and show him as much of my respect as I can. Just like all of us."

Atemu frowned a little before nodding and smiling. "Thank you for telling me this." The archer just nodded back.

"All our tales are similar," Anzu smiled. "Yugi helped me to get into the Great Shrine after my parents were killed, he helped Ryô and his father when Ryô's mother and sister were killed by bandits and they had no income, and as far as I know he picked Jonouchi and Honda from streets."

"Back streets, the littlest and dirtiest alleyways of Edo," Jonouchi chuckled. "I still don't see why he did that though. We weren't exactly pleasant to him on our initial meeting."

"We tried to rob him," Honda clarified.

"And you're picking me on for being thief? You hypocrites," Bakura snorted.

"Maybe he saw potential in you," Atemu suggested amusedly.

"What potential?" the archer snorted. "Back then the mutt could barely hold katana let alone wielding one."

"Shut up Seto," the blond warrior growled.

-

It took them four days to walk from the boarder to the capital city. They did not enter immediately, though, just watched the enormous stone walls that surrounded the city from afar while Ryô made mental contact with Prince Yugi to get further instructions.

"We will enter through the 'backdoor," the sorcerer said, ending his strange spell. He smiled at the westerns. "The prince does not want anyone to know about your presence yet. At this time it might cause troubles that are unwanted."

While Atemu, Marik and Bakura nodded, Seto looked at Jonouchi and Honda. "I guess you will be leading the way, mutt."

"Shut up," the blonde samurai murmured and glanced at the walls of the city. "The security seems lack today, but we still need to stay out of sight. This way," he then said, and headed to the forest. The others followed him in tight line, trying to stay out of sight and made as little sound as possible. They walked nearly around the whole city until they came into spot where the city walls hit a mountain.

"About thousand years ago, this mountain was carved full of tunnels and such to be used as way out of the city in case it fell into enemy hands," Jonouchi spoke while walking the around the moss-covered rocks, looking for something. "They haven't been used for at least five hundred years, so people have forgotten all about them. Well most of people. Now smugglers and such use them to take things - and people - in and out of the city."

"And your emperor allows it?" Atemu asked, shocked.

"I'm not sure if the emperor knows about it. Prince Yugi does, but he had good reasons to ignore it," Jonouchi muttered and found what he was looking for. He knocked something, creating slight metallic echo before horrible screech of metallic door opening broke it. "It is me, Jonouchi," the samurai called. "I'm here with prince's guard and three guests of the prince who need to get into the city undetected."

"Jonouchi? Haven't seen you in a while," gruff voice came from somewhere. "Come in then." "Come on," Jonouchi said to the others and then walked forwards - through one boulder that had looked quite solid to Atemu before.

"It is an illusion," Ryô explained before walking on, closely followed by Anzu and Seto. Shrugging his shoulders, Atemu followed them into the boulder, surprised to find a small room lit with torches and stairs leading downwards inside. There was a rather ruffled looking man with black hair and beard in the stony room as well, who now eyed Atemu curiously.

"Westerns, huh? I guess things are escalating then," the ruffian asked from Jonouchi.

"Something is going on definitely, but I'm not sure what yet," the blond samurai shrugged while Marik and Bakura entered the room as well before Honda came and the ruffian closed the heavy looking metal door.

"I trust you can make it through the tunnels?" the ruffian asked from Jonouchi. "I need to stay here to keep watch."

"Yeah, we can make it. Thanks," Jonouchi took a torch from corner of the room and lit it on the other torches. He nodded to the ruffled man and then motioned the others to follow him down the stairs and into the tunnels. "If we see someone along the way, don't say or do anything," the samurai instructed them. "Down here people usually do their best to ignore each other and whatever they are doing."

The tunnels inside the mountain were dark, thin and uncomfortable, but Jonouchi seemed to know them like the back of his hand, navigating his way through their maze easily. They did encounter few people, men and females, but the encounters were silent and very brief. When it had felt like they had stayed down there in the dark for hours only led by light of single torch, they came into another room with metal door and ruffled looking guard. The guard took one look at their group and started to open the door while Jonouchi put the torch out.

"Thanks," the blonde samurai thanked the man before leading their mismatched group out into thigh little back alley.

"Okay then, what's next?" Jonouchi asked. "Getting into the city undetected is easy, getting into the palace will be harder." He eyed Atemu's, Marik's and Bakura's clothing. "With those robes and your skin, anyone could tell miles away that you're not from here so…"

"So I guess new clothing might be in order?" a voice spoke from the shadow's of the alley, making Atemu, Marik and Bakura immediately ready themselves for threat. Even while reaching towards the Shadow Realm Atemu felt confused. How could there be someone in his presence that he could not sense before they spoke?

The eastern however had a different reaction. "Prince Yugi!" Few of them cried before they all in unison bowed low to the shadows. While the westerns looked at them with confusion, the voice from the shadows got a body as the prince stepped into the light.

First thought Atemu had of the prince was that he was shorter than he had imagined, not to mention thinner. Usually men associated with words _greatest warrior of his land_ were more muscular, so the prince's litheness was a surprise. How could the prince see anything? The black cloth that veiled his eyes seemed too thick and dark to see through. Then Atemu stopped asking questions and just took the prince in - the long sleeved sky blue cloth covering his upper body, the strange dark blue two-part cloth covering his legs, the long hair that was pulled into high ponytail… The prince had strange hair, light yellow from the top and dark violet from underneath.

"Stop that," the pale prince said to the westerns who were still bowing. "I have told you dozens of times to not do that, have I not? And we have no time," the prince took some kind of box shaped soft thing covered in cloth from the shadows and handed it to them. "Clothing. Help our guests into them, we have palace to sneak into."

---

Anticlimactic, much? And the chapter title is so inspirational, yup.


End file.
